While the world continues to praise the Palestinian Authority for
its "fight" against terror, in Arabic the PA continues its unabated
legitimization and glorification of terror targeting Israelis.

Terrorists from three Palestinian terror organizations murdered an
Israel couple on Saturday night, July 23. The murdered couple were
parents of teenage children. PA condemnations in English were
careful to avoid criticizing the "action" as murder or terror, but
rather censured it as "damaging to the PA." In Arabic however, the
PA’s official daily effectively endorsed the murders, as it has done
consistently under the leadership of Mahmoud Abbas, legitimizing and
glorifying the terror and granting the most elevated status to the
murderers – the status of Shahid – Martyr for Allah.

The daily also published a heroic picture of the "Shahids," as
pictured above.

The following are excerpts from the article legitimizing the terror
and granting heroic Shahid status to the terrorists, that appeared
in Abbas’ official daily on the day after the killings:

"Al-Aqsa Martyrs´ Brigades, which belongs to the Fatah movement, the
Al-Quds Companies, the military branch of the Islamic Jihad
movement, and Al-Nasir Salah Al-Din Regiments, the military branch
of the Popular Resistance Committees, [all] claimed joint
responsibility for the attack...

"An Islamic Jihad movement senior [official], Khalid Al-Batash,
emphasized that the operation in Kisufim ... came in retaliation to
the assassination crimes that were committed by the Occupation...

"He said that the operation is not considered a violation of
the ´Calm´ [i.e. cease fire] and that the Resistance will retaliate
to the violations of the Occupation whenever it has an
opportunity...

"He also said, ´The Calm is not holy. The government of Tel Aviv is
not committed to the Cairo Agreement, but continues with the actions
of land clearance and killing, and with building the fence... We
cannot stare at the shedding of Palestinian blood [and do
nothing]...´

"He added, ´...If anyone has an interest in the Calm, he has to
press Tel Aviv to respect it [the Calm]...´

"Fatah confirmed in an announcement its consistent position that it
is important and necessary ... that the retaliation to the
violations of the Calm agreement on the side of the Occupation will
be within the national consensus ... ´for achieving our goals and
our legitimate national rights for freedom, return [of refugees],
full national independence and the establishment of our fully
sovereign, independent state with Jerusalem as its capital...´

"The factions of the resistance emphasized that the execution of the
operation does not mean, in any way, the repudiation of the Hudna
[cease fire] ... but comes within the framework of natural
retaliation to the crimes of Israel..."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, July 25, 2005]

Aside from ascribing to dead terrorists the highest Islamic honor,
the article was careful to use other terms that reinforce the
temporary nature of the current lull in attacks against Israel.

The unofficial cease fire that most Palestinian terror groups
declared in February (and have subsequently broken frequently) is
labelled a ´Calm,´ indicating a limited period of rest, after which
terror will resume.

Also note that the Palestinian leadership and press define their
terrorism as ´Resistance,´ and therefore legitimate. (PMW.ORG.IL
07/26/05)